Trampoline Injuries Lawyers in New City, NY, Providing Focused Legal Services to Injured Victims and Their Families
Trampolines may look fun, but they are known to be dangerous. This seems to be widely accepted knowledge, though there also appears to be little effort to change things or remove trampolines from the market. There is a movement to bring about new safety standards, such as educating consumers on the importance of necessary safety equipment such as well-maintained netting around the edges of the trampoline. Despite this, however, every year, New York sees thousands of injuries that can be traced back to trampoline accidents at home or at trampoline parks like Sky Zone or Urban Air Adventure Park.
If you or a family member have suffered an injury from using a trampoline, you may be eligible to seek compensation for both economic and non-economic damages.
As trampolines are something of a known hazard, it can sometimes prove challenging to file a winning case that seeks to hold trampoline manufacturers, negligent homeowners, and trampoline parks accountable for accidents. That’s why it is recommended to seek experienced personal injury lawyers to represent your case.
The New York law firm Greenspan & Greenspan has decades of experience providing legal services to clients in need. We would be proud to assist you through the complicated legal process as we work together to pursue the justice and compensation you deserve.
Are Trampoline Injuries Common?
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates more than 300,000 trampoline accidents in 2018 alone, with more than 100,000 accidents requiring ER trips. In most years, the number of total trampoline accidents requiring medical attention amounts to a little more than 100,000. That’s a million trampoline injuries in a decade’s time.
The vast majority of trampoline injuries are suffered by minors, with children under age six accounting for roughly 15% of all injuries. And though it is easy to point fingers at trampoline parks for running dangerous businesses, more than 90% of broken bones happen in trampoline accidents at home or on another homeowner’s property.
The most common causes of injuries are the result of too many people on the trampoline at once, falling off the trampoline, or failed attempts at flips and somersaults on the trampoline surface.
Common types of trampoline injuries include:
- Broken back, neck, or hip
- Concussions
- Fractured limbs
- Permanent or temporary paralysis
- Severe neck strain
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Wrongful death
Head, neck, and spine injuries are the most common trampoline injuries. Sometimes these injuries worsen over time. Please seek medical attention if you were in any type of trampoline accident.
What if you Signed a Waiver at the Trampoline Park?
Whether they publicly say so or not, on some level, many parks recognize that trampolines are unsafe, especially for children. Many trampoline parks make a point not to offer tips or instructions to visitors. That way, if you are hurt at their park, they can say that the injured victim was performing beyond their basic skill level, and no employee had any part in pushing them beyond their abilities.
These parks often require visitors to sign a waiver upon entry, which releases the trampoline park of any responsibility for injuries suffered on the premises. However, there are ways to get around that waiver. According to New York’s General Obligations Law – GOB § 5-326, such a waiver signed by a paying customer to a recreational facility may be considered void, meaning that the park could be held liable for injuries that occurred on their property.
Though this law exists, that does not make this a simple matter. The trampoline park will pull out all the stops to avoid responsibility, including bringing its own legal defense team to the table. To ensure that your rights are adequately protected, seek legal advice from lawyers with experience handling cases like yours.
How are Trampoline Accidents Covered by Insurance Companies?
In New York, insurance companies consider trampolines an ‘attractive nuisance.’ This puts extra responsibility on homeowners who keep a trampoline on their property to ensure that it is safe and that children in the neighborhood cannot easily access it.
Other examples of attractive nuisances in New York include playground equipment, abandoned motor vehicles, holes in the dirt, and artificial ponds and fountains.
Most insurance companies cover trampolines as part of a homeowner’s policy. This provides property owners with liability insurance if accidents occur on their personally owned trampolines, whether those injured victims used the trampoline with or without the owner’s consent. Please note, however, that not all insurance policies cover trampolines, and purchasing such equipment could result in losing your insurance coverage.
Contact us to Schedule a Free Consultation with Experienced Trampoline Injuries Attorneys in New City, NY
Trampolines are dangerous and it is long past time that we took serious steps to make them safer. And if that isn’t going to happen, then we must make efforts to keep young people from using trampolines, especially without responsible adult supervision.
Until such a time when trampolines are made safer, though, there will always be the risk of catastrophic injuries for those who use them. If you or a family member have been injured in a trampoline accident, our attorneys would like to help you determine whether you have the makings of a promising lawsuit.
While our law offices are in White Plains and New City, NY, we provide legal services to clients across New York State. To schedule a free consultation with a legal staff member, don’t hesitate to contact us through our website or by phone at (845) 422-8060.